I'm not a German speaker, and neither is most of the potential audience. Americans don't know no furrin languages and German in particular has fallen off the map so far that a lot of high schools don't offer it as an option anymore, at least that's true in California, where the kids are learning Spanish or maybe Chinese.

To an English speaker, the title evokes "Wonderland + dumb." But really, it's dumb because it's dumb. Doesn't pay to overthink this stuff. A title either works immediately on gut instinct or it doesn't.

Or maybe they'll just have enough experience with the world to be aware that works of fiction and entertainment often employ variant spellings in their titles for effect -- Mortal Kombat, eXistenZ, Mötley Crüe, etc. Not to mention all the odd spellings in product names.

The Midnight, Mass. comics creator John Rozum will serve as an executive consultant on the TV project, about a sophisticated, sexy, globe-trotting husband and wife paranormal investigator team — based in Midnight, Massachusetts — that takes on supernatural foes, macabre mysteries and the most frightening creature of all: marriage.

I doubt it's actually supposed to be the German word "Wunderland." (no Umlaut) Remember how Wonderland was called "Underland" in Tim Burton's Alice film? I think it's probably just a pun along those lines.

I doubt it's actually supposed to be the German word "Wunderland." (no Umlaut) Remember how Wonderland was called "Underland" in Tim Burton's Alice film? I think it's probably just a pun along those lines.

Maybe I should start the Church of Holy Gort since the guy seems popular.

They'll need to add an umlaut or do something to signal to their very un-German speaking audience that its Wunderland like wunderkind and wunderbar. The fundamental problem is, Alice in Wonderland has no connection to German culture and it's quite a leap to expect people to get that without additional help. Twenty quatloos says they go the smiley face umlaut route in the logo graphic design.

I got the first couple of issues of Midnight, Mass some years ago and dropped it pretty quickly. At this point I don't remember a thing about it. So the idea doesn't really excite me, but it could still spawn a good show, I suppose. Since it takes place in Massachusetts, at least in part, I'll probably give it a try.

Fittingly for male-driven FX, unlike the traditional, romanticized portrayals of vampires as tuxedo-clad studs, The Strain is vary male-skewing with bloodsuckers who have no seductive powers — they are parasites, husks of their former human form with stingers that drain blood for nourishment, while spreading capillary worms that convert victims into more vampires under the control of The Master.

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Worms? ewwww...

He cited everything from Luther to Sons Of Anarchy, Game Of Thrones, The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Justified as influences.

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But not The Walking Dead? Betcha that series above all is why this show is being made. Subtract seduction from vampires and ya got - zombies! Even better, wormy zombies. FX has noticed the huge ratings and male skewing audience of that show and wants their own version.